Enclosed bassinet



F. MONACO EI'AL ENCLOSED BASSINET Filed DEG. 15, 1953 July 30, 1957 OE CTM m L m S H TY mmm FH T N A IN VEN TORS AGENT Unite rates ENCLOSED BASSINET Application December 15, 1953, Serial No. 393,332

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-1432) Our present invention relates to improvements in transparent, enclosed bassinets adapted to serve as oxygen tents, as incubators and/ or as receptacles for isolating an infant from his environments.

It is an object of our invention to provide improved bassinets or cradles of the above type wherein the baby may be kept under constant surveillance or may be readily seen upon inspection without the necessity of opening or removing the enclosure.

It is another object of this invention to provide bassinets or cradles of the character indicated having means for supporting an infant in horizontal or in titlted position and for selectively raising or lowering the infants head with respect to the rest of his body, as may be momentarily required by the necessity of, say, facilitating the draining of phlegm from his bronchial tubes or from considerations of digestion or elimination, all without requiring any opening of the enclosure.

It is a more specific object of the instant invention to provide a resilient, tiltable hammock adapted to support an infant in a bassinet of the type set forth.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a device of the character specified, safe and easily controlled heating means enabling its use as an incubator.

Other objects, features and advantages of our invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosed bassinet, according to the invention, adapted to serve as an incubator;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a modified bassinet according to the invention, adapted to serve as an oxygen tent;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bassinet hammock with its mounting means;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line V--V of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a transparent bassinet or cradle comprising a basket member 110 (Fig. 1) or 210 (Fig. 2) and a closure member 120 (Fig. 1) or 220 (Fig. 2) therefor. The basket member in either embodiment is preferably made of a transparent synthetic resin, such as the acrylic compounds known as Lucite or Plexiglas.

The basket member or body 110 of Fig. l is of rectangular, box-like configuration having a uniform height all around. The walls of this body terminate in a lip forming a flange 111 completely about the open top thereof. One of the larger walls or sides is provided with two apertures 112a, 1121) provided with a flexible curtain or sea] 113, e. g. of rubber or plastic sheet material, which can be readily parted by the hands of a nurse or attendant administering to the needs of an infant lying in the closed bassinet. While the seals 113 will allow some air to enter the enclosure, additional vents (not shown) may, of course, be provided in the body 110 if necessary.

atent The cover 120 is a flat, rectangular plate formed by an inverted tray of sheet metal or the like within which there is disposed a heating unit (not shown) energized from a source of electric current by means of a plug-carrying cord 121. The underside of the cover 120 is formed by a protective grillwork 122 enabling the circulation of air between the basket and the heating unit within the cover. A source of moisture within the bassinet, such as a water trough 118 secured to the top of one of the end walls of basket 110, serves to control the humidity therewithin. Temperature control is obtained by a thermostat 123 projecting downwardly from the cover 120; the top of the cover may carry conventional instruments, not shown, for reading and adjusting the temperature within the bassinet.

Cover 120 is hinged to basket 110 at 114a, 114b and is provided with a pivoted brace 214, a notch near the end of this brace being adapted to receive a pin 115 on one of the end walls of the basket whereby the cover can be held in the open position illustrated.

An indexing member ordisk 116 of semicircular configuration is integrally molded onto one of the larger sides of basket 110, on its outside, and is provided with a series of holes 117. A crank 37, co-operating with this indexing member in a manner more fully described hereinafter, controls the position of a tiltable hammock 36 mounted near the bottom of the basket.

The basket body 219 of Fig. 2 is similar to body 11% except that its end carrying the atmosphere-controlling tray 21% is higher than the remaining walls, thus forming an enclosure of flared configuration. Cover 22% is a flexible sheet, preferably of transparent plastic material, whose edges are resiliently drawn together around the flange 211 and which thus may be readily removed and reapplied. This tray 21$, which may be considered as a heat-exchanging means (the same as the heating unit in cover 120 of Fig. 1), serves as a receptacle for ice cubes to cool the oxygen admitted through an inlet nipple 212. An indexing member 216 externally molded onto one of the side walls of basket 21h again co-operates in the adjustment of a hammock 3 in a manner now to be described with reference to Figs. 35.

'1" he hammock 30 is removably set from above upon a transverse rocker bar 35 which is journaled in the side walls of basket member 21% (or 116) by means or" a bolt 36 at one end and the aforementioned crank 37 at the other end. Crank 37 is provided with an aperture near its free end to accommodate a retractable, preferably spring-loaded detent pin 33 positioned for engagement with any of the apertures, such as 117, provided in indexing disk 216 (or 116).

The hamrnock consists of a frame 31, preferably of a synthetic material which may be identical with that used for the basket, having a sheet 32 of rubber or similar material tightly drawn thereover. The sheet 32 may be provided with curling edges 33, in like manner to cover 226, which will serve to hold the sheet on the frame as best seen in Fig. 5. The two longer members of the frame 31 are provided, substantially at their center, with aligned notches 34a, 34b around which the sheet 32 is cut away, preferably without destroying the continuity of edge 33.

The rocker bar 35 has an upper, blade-like portion 39 which enters the notches 34a, 3415 at its ends and is cut away near these ends to form shoulders which limit the relative lateral displacement of bar 35 and frame 31, as best seen in Fig. 4. This bar may likewise be made of moldable plastic material and, if desired, may be integral with its axle members 36, 37, provided the basket is suitably adapted to enable their insertion. Rotation of the crank 37, following retraction of pin 38, will enable the hammock 30 to occupy any one of several level, nearly level, or forwardly or backwardly tilted positions. and 7 to be retained in the selected position by release of the pm.

i It will-be understood that the supporting mechanism 35 39 is representative of a large number of equivalent arrangements enabling the placing of a hammock 30 or the like upon a tilting support and indexing of this :support, withthe hammock thereon, in a plurality of different angular positions, such indexing being preferably accomplished from without as has been described The distance of the frame 31 from the bottom of the gasket, above its pivots36, 37, is sufiicient to permit tilting of the hammock to the extreme forward and backward positions desired. e

The body 110 or 2100f the bassinet shown in Fig. l or 2 may, and preferably is, molded in a single piece. The interior of this body, which is free from re-entrant formations, is provided for this purpose 'with a suitable taper or draft to facilitate, removal of the core.

If desired, the cover 120 in Fig. 1 may be provided with a transparent portion or window to permit observation of the infant not only from the sides but from the top as well. Likewise, this cover may be provided with a small, easily plugged hole enabling insertion of a cord or chain from a weighing scale, the end of this'cord or chain being then attached to the diapers of the infant with the aid of the ports 112a, 1121) through which the nurses hands can be put. .The water trough 118 may, of course,carry a cover with adjustable apertures which can be easily manipulated, through port 112b, to regulate the humidity within the enclosure, according to the readis of transparent material.

4 ings of a hygrometer (not shown) mounted, for example, on the basket body 110. These and other additions, modifications and adaptations are deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: v 1. An enclosed bassinet comprising a basket-like body, a cover for said body, heating means on said cover, and control means for said heating means on said cover adapted to maintain a predetermined temperature in the enclosure defined by said body and said cover, said cover comprising an inverted tray containing said heating means 7 and a gn'llwork on the underside of said tray separating said heating means from said enclosure.

2. A bassinet according to claim 1, wherein said tray is hinged to said body. V

3. A bassinet according to claim 1, wherein said body References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Higgs Apr. 7, 1953 

